


New Hero on the Block

by Aquilacalvitium



Category: JSE, Jackieboy Man - Fandom, jackaboy man - Fandom, jacksepticeye, jsegos - Fandom
Genre: Gen, OC insert, superhero
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27603209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aquilacalvitium/pseuds/Aquilacalvitium
Summary: Being the only superhero in Brighton is not as difficult as you may believe. After all, how much trouble can one seafront town attract? More than Sean McLoughlin could have imagined, at least.With two strange newcomers to his town, and a threat like none he's faced before, Sean and his new companion in crime must learn to become the heroes they never thought they could be.
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter One: The Hero This Town Deserves

**Author's Note:**

> In case you’re new, hi! Welcome!  
> This is actually the third rewrite of this story, as I wasn’t completely satisfied with my first few attempts (which were originally posted on Wattpad).  
> It takes place in an au where Sean never became a youtuber and instead has a full-time job as a voice actor. Since his ego Jackaboy Man has no canon powers, I have written him to have the powers of flight and energy beams from his hands. His costume is much the same as what he wears in videos, although his mask is red (trust me, this is an important detail).  
> In regards to the second and third characters, they are original characters that I have created, written and developed by myself. I do have plans to write a solo story for them, but am finding it very difficult at the moment. Some details of their story will be intentionally left out so as not to spoil everything in case I ever do get around to writing their solo story.  
> Since this is a Jacksepticeye fanfiction, I intend to keep any crossovers with other youtubers to a minimum. The only crossovers with other characters are present only for comedic purposes.  
> The story’s spotlight will be shared between Sean and my original character and will hopefully focus on their development both as individuals and as friends.  
> Finally, I will make this very clear: There is NO romantic or sexual relationship between the two. There is a significant age gap and their relationship is strictly platonic with a hint of teacher-student. It is up to you, the reader, to decide who the teacher is.  
> Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We are introduced to Jackaboy Man A.K.A Sean McLoughlin.

My Friday evenings were always the same. Finish work at half five, grab a subway, throw on my suit and spend the next two to four hours flying around town. People were always tired on Fridays, fighting the traffic to get home before kicking their feet up for the weekend, so not a lot tended to happen, but one can never be too careful.  
The local troublemakers seemed to be getting less and less eager to make any trouble, which made my side job as the local superhero rather dull. Sometimes I would find myself sitting on the edge of a building, hoping I might hear a siren or something so I’d have something to do.  
I mean, it was a weird thing to hope for, but give me a break. Everyone always wants to be a superhero, but do they ever stop to think about what happens when you’re a superhero with no-one to fight? It’s boring as fuck.  
I rested my chin in my hand and swung my legs back and forth as they dangled off the edge of the block of flats I perched on top of. If anyone below me were to look up now, they probably wouldn’t know it was me, as the street lamps stood far below and I remained in the shadows above, my tastefully bright red suit hidden from view.  
I rubbed my arms as the wind picked up, sending a shiver down my spine. I quietly cursed myself for not wearing an extra layer under my outfit. It was nearly winter, so of course it would be colder outside. I made a mental note to pack an extra shirt the next day.  
I sighed and stood up, stretching my arms above my head and shaking my leg which had gone to sleep. My backpack hung off one arm and I swung it around so I could reach in and check the time on my phone. It was nearly seven - I should probably get home. I slipped my phone back into my bag, threw it over both arms and took off into the starless Brighton sky.  
Flying was probably the most relaxing thing to me. Despite the wind whipping my face, threatening to steal all the moisture from my eyes, it was probably the one thing that was always guaranteed to calm me down. Any troubling thoughts that bubbled up were whisked away with the breeze and any pent up frustration was turned into energy, propelling me faster and faster through the air.  
Not much was on my mind tonight, so I drifted calmly over the streets and buildings below, every now and then glancing down at the few people that were still out at this hour. My mind went blank and my shoulders relaxed as I took in all the noises around me.  
A dog barked several blocks down, music thundered from a pub on the corner of the street, and cars drove up and down the roads - keeping the sea-side town of Brighton quiet but never silent. I was so lost in the usual, familiar sounds of the unusually sleepy town that I nearly missed the distant screaming a fair few blocks away. I came to a halt, listening for any further noise, but none came. After a moment’s hesitation, I decided it was better to be safe than sorry and flew in the direction of the cry.  
I scanned the alleys for several minutes, starting to think that I had just imagined the scream, or that the threat had passed, but came to a stop as I noticed something move in my peripheral vision. Something human-sized, but far more agile. As dark and as swift as a shadow cast by a passing car. Curious, I flew slowly towards the alley I had seen it emerge from and held my breath as I spotted several people in bright yellow safety vests stood around two other figures in everyday clothes.  
Naturally, I was curious, but I knew better than to get too close to the police - many of which wanted me off the streets for good. I turned tail and took off swiftly and silently back home.

I stepped through the back door - having flown low over the local houses and landing in the garden to avoid detection - and pulled my hood down, allowing the cool air to get to my warm head.  
“Hey, hon,” a voice came from the living room. I smiled and walked in to find my girlfriend, Evelyn, sitting on the sofa with the television on. She smiled at me as I came in. “How was your afternoon?” She asked.  
“Oh, you know,” I replied, “battled a supervillain, cheated death, saved the world.” I sat down next to her and she started shoving me playfully.  
“Oh no you don’t!” She laughed, trying to be serious, “go and put that thing in the wash right now, and don’t come back down until you’ve had a shower.” I rolled my eyes, grinning, and did as she asked.  
Half an hour or so later, I made my way back downstairs in my pyjamas to find Evelyn still in the living room, waiting with a hot mug of coffee and BB, our cat, snuggled into her lap. I kissed her on the cheek and collapsed on the sofa next to her, putting my arm around her and using my free hand to sip from my coffee mug. We continued to watch the TV in silence as the news started showing.  
“And so that’s how rabies became the new weight loss sensation that swept the nation. And now for the weather. Jim?” The news reporter read out. I shook my head, smiling, and took another swig of coffee. Something told me these guys weren’t the most qualified news readers.  
“Thanks, Jim,” the weather man continued, “we’re really in a scramble out here, it’s currently raining cats and dogs and I -”  
“I’m sorry Jim but I’m going to have to interrupt you for a moment, as the police have just contacted us with some fairly urgent news.” The newsreader cut in. “It seems that local superhero Jackaboy Man might have some new competition.” I spat out my coffee - thankfully back into the mug - and proceeded to have a small coughing fit. BB, disturbed by my choking, chirped indignantly, and the newsreader continued as I strained to hear him over my spluttering.  
“Eye witnesses have reported seeing a dark, hooded figure around several crime scenes lately. Up until now, police have wanted to keep this case quiet but have decided to go public after an incident just a couple of hours ago when a pedestrian claimed to have been attacked by this figure, whom the police have named ‘the shadow.’ Very few details are known about this so-called ‘shadow’ but they are suspected to be a young male dressed in black with a hooded cloak. Here is a sketch artists’ interpretation.”  
A small pencil sketch appeared in the corner of the screen. It was of a figure with broad shoulders, their head hidden under a hood. It was rather reminiscent of a comic book character, but a bit more unsettling.  
“Since the latest incident, he is now considered a public threat and anyone with any information is encouraged to contact the police as soon as possible. Pedestrians are warned to avoid alleyways when possible and to avoid going out after dark. And now back to the weather. Jim?”  
Evelyn and I exchanged uneasy glances and I found myself recalling the agile shadow from earlier that evening.  
“You okay?” Evelyn asked. I swallowed, my mouth suddenly very dry.  
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied, though in my hand, my coffee mug was trembling.


	2. Chapter Two: The Man in the Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean attempts to find out more about this mysterious new threat.

For the next few days, I couldn’t stop thinking - no, worrying - about this ‘shadow’ character, about whom I knew absolutely nothing. If he’d been around for the past few weeks then why had I only just seen him last night? I patrolled the town every evening and there was no way he could get around in broad daylight without being seen, so he must have been going to some great lengths to avoid me. Either that or I was being uncharacteristically non-observant.  
“SEAN!” I jumped as my manager’s voice belted at me through my headphones. “You missed your cue AGAIN!” I grew hot with embarrassment. I was in the studio at my day job, recording voice lines for a new video game.  
“S-sorry,” I stammered. My manager sighed before responding.  
“Let’s take a break,” she said, defeated. The guys outside the booth left in the direction of the break room, muttering between themselves, as I slipped my headphones off and rubbed my face, leaning against the desk that held a stack of script papers. I needed to get my head back into the game, that was the third time today I’d missed my cue. I took a deep breath and ran a hand through my hair, combing my deep brown curls away from my eyes, before turning to leave. I opened the door to the booth to find my manager waiting for me.  
“Is something wrong, Sean?” She asked. I shook my head.  
“I’m fine,” I insisted, “just didn’t sleep very well last night,” which was true. I had tossed and turned in bed for a few hours before finally drifting off.  
“Well maybe some coffee will get that energy back, eh?” She suggested with a friendly smile. I forced myself to echo her with a small smile of my own and followed her to the break room, suddenly craving that coffee more than anything.

I sighed in relief as the hot brown drink warmed me from the inside out, and tension that I hadn’t realised I was holding faded from my shoulders and stomach.  
“Rough morning?” I looked up to see a co-worker, Duncan, helping himself to the chair opposite me. I forced a smile.  
“Yeah,” I replied, “and a rough night.”  
“You sound like you could use a break,” Duncan observed, burying his nose in his mug. I tried not to wince. How could anyone drink coffee that weak? It was practically milk.  
“No, I’ll be fine,” I insisted, “we all get bad spots here and there. This’ll pass.”  
“Well, some of us were going to treat ourselves to a night at the pub this weekend,” he said in an offering tone.  
“Thanks but I think the hangover would just make me feel worse,” I replied jokingly. Duncan chuckled.  
“Well if you change your mind, I think a few hours away from it all will do you some good.” I hummed in response, trying desperately to reach the last few drops of my coffee before sighing and dropping the empty mug back on the table.  
“I’ll let you know if I’m available,” I said. But I think a hooded criminal hell-bent on avoiding me is a bit more urgent than a night out, I added to myself.

I paced back and forth on the roof of a small corner shop. Normally, I would come here to watch beach-goers and tourists by the sea, but my mind just couldn’t sit still today, and neither could I. It was six in the afternoon and it was already well past dark - the town was a little livelier than the previous night, being the weekend and all, but nearly all the shops and venues were closed by now, so there wasn’t much point in anyone going out.  
I continued pacing, my eyes flickering towards any nearby shadows, though I wasn’t sure if it was out of caution or paranoia. While I had managed to finally concentrate on my work, my mind continued to be drawn back to this so-called Shadow. I just couldn’t relax.  
As I paced, I felt my restlessness slowly evolve into agitation, and unable to resist any longer, I took off into the sky, forcing all my anxiety and worries to the back of my mind and turnings them into energy, flying faster and faster through the air as the wind threatened to turn me blind. I didn’t know where I was flying, but it helped to release my stress.  
Finally, I let myself down in a nearby alley, panting heavily. I leaned back against the wall and remained that way for what felt like forever (but was probably only three minutes) before forcing a deep breath and deciding that staying out and driving myself mad probably wasn’t the healthiest idea. It was time to head home.  
I straightened my hood and readied myself to take off before I was interrupted by a hushed gasp. Barely audible, but there nonetheless. I spun around only to find myself staring back at a humanoid hooded figure at the end of the alley.  
I didn’t have time to decide whether this was good or bad luck before he took off in the opposite direction.  
“Hey!” I yelled and gave chase. I was quickly astounded by how fast and agile he was, turning corners without hesitation and leaping over and around obstacles with the ease and grace of a cat - he seemed to know this maze of alleys like the back of his hand.  
Finally, just when I thought I was about to lose him, he came to a halt - and I quickly realised why. We were at a dead end - I had him cornered.  
I was still a little out of breath from flying, and that chase hadn’t done me much good either, but I just about managed to steady my breath as I slowly approached. “Who are you?” I asked. I wasn’t sure whether to expect an answer, but I quickly found out that I didn’t need to, for as soon as I had asked that, the shadow leapt at the wall beside him. I stared in astonishment as he ricocheted off the wall straight onto the next one, expertly parkouring his way up to the roof tops above.  
I have to admit, I was rather taken aback, surprised by his strength and stamina, seemingly never out of breath. But I might never get a chance like this again, so I composed myself and took off after him, managing to snag his ankle as he landed on the roof, tripping him up. He fell with a small grunt and I held his arm behind his back, pinning him to the ground. He struggled for a moment, but stopped as he felt the pressure on his arm.  
“Who are you?” I asked again, but he refused to respond, trembling faintly against my grip. Furious, I grabbed his hood and pulled it back, revealing a short lock of chestnut-brown hair.  
He swung his head around to glare at me and I felt myself freeze in his gaze like a deer in headlights. His face was almost entirely obscured by a black mouth mask adorned with a few studs and chains, and a golden band that wrapped around his head at an angle, entirely covering his right eye. The one eye I could see, however, almost seemed to pierce right through me. It was hard to tell in the faint light of the evening, but his iris was the most striking blue/green I had ever seen, and his glare was so sharp it seemed to hold me firmly in place.  
Probably sensing that he’d managed to catch me off-guard, he rolled suddenly to the side, throwing me off balance. As I was already worn-out from flying and exhausted from the chase, he had no problem struggling free and delivering a swift blow to my stomach, causing me to double over in pain. I managed to lift my head and watch as the sprinted away and threw himself off the edge of the building. Panicked, I stumbled after him and peeked over the edge, expecting to see him lying on the ground several storeys below, but he was gone.  
“What the fuck?” I wheezed.


	3. Chapter Three: Darkness and Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean refuses to give in. He must find and stop the Shadow.

I arrived home that evening exhausted and frustrated. I’d spent another hour searching, but to no avail - it was almost as if he’d vanished off the face of the Earth. I pulled my hood down and sighed, leaning against the door to catch my breath for a few minutes before heading upstairs to find Evelyn already fast asleep, a book lying open on the bed next to her.  
I undressed as quietly as possible and ran my head under the shower before slipping into bed next to her and promptly falling into a deep sleep.

When I finally woke up, the first thing I became aware of was the sweet smell of bacon wafting into the room from downstairs. I rolled over to find Evelyn’s side of the bed empty and rolled my eyes, smiling a little to myself. I wandered downstairs to see Evelyn placing a few slices of bread in the toaster.  
“It was my turn to make breakfast today,” I said, making her jump.  
“Well you wouldn’t wake up,” she replied, turning her attention back to the bacon and poking it with the spatula. I chuckled. “Go and get dressed,” she continued, “the bacon should be ready when you get back.” Knowing better than to argue, I did as I was told.

Ten minutes later, we sat together at the dining table, eating in silence. Evelyn dipped her knife into the butter and spread it over her toast.  
“Anything happen last night?” She asked before taking a bite. I swallowed my mouthful of bacon before responding.  
“Well, I found the so-called ‘shadow.’” I replied. Evelyn raised her eyebrows in surprise and waited for me to continue. “I also learned how he’s managed to avoid me for so long. The dude’s more agile than a cat.”  
“He must be good to have avoided you for so long,” Evelyn observed, biting into her butter-saturated toast.  
“He is,” I confirmed, “and he totally kicked my ass.” She stifled an amused snort.  
“So is he as dangerous as the news said?” She prompted after a few moments of silence.  
“Well I didn’t exactly have time to sit down and question him,” I replied, “but from what I picked up, yeah.”  
“You’re going after him, aren’t you?” Evelyn asked accusingly.  
“...Yeah?” I replied nervously, “I kinda came across him by accident last night so he’s clearly doing what he can to avoid me. That just gives me all the more reason to find him.” Evelyn sighed and neither of us spoke for a minute.  
“Well you’re not going out today,” she continued, “it’s Sunday, so you’re gonna stay home and enjoy your one day off.” I opened my mouth to argue, but she was already making a display of tidying up the table - and when she acted like this, I knew there was no way I was ever going to win an argument.

I did my best to relax with Evelyn, but my mind kept wandering back to the ‘shadow.’ Who is he? What does he want? Why is he so... creepy?  
Evelyn sighed.  
“What?” I asked.  
“You’re fidgeting again,” she said. I realised I was subconsciously rubbing my fingers together, on the hand which was draped across her shoulders.  
“Sorry,” I said, forcing myself to stop. Evelyn reached for the remote and paused the movie.  
“Go on,” she said, with that amused look a parent would normally give a child when they gave in to whatever their child was badgering them about.  
“Go on where?” I asked.  
“You can’t stop thinking about the Shadow, you want to be out looking for him,” she said, “If you can’t relax, then there’s not much point in having a relaxing day, is there?”  
“No, I’ll be fine,” I insisted, although I knew she was right. I couldn’t relax with all these worries parading through my mind, but I also loved relaxing days with my girlfriend, and I didn’t want to ruin it for her.  
“I’ll be fine, I’ve got BB to keep me company,” she smiled. BB, from the back of the sofa, chirped as he heard his name and began to purr loudly as Evelyn scratched his head. I sighed.  
“You sure?” I asked hesitantly. She nodded and leaned over to exchange a kiss.  
“How about you make it up to me with a pizza?” She said. I grinned.  
“You got it.”

A few minutes later, I was in my red suit, scanning the streets and alleys below for any human-shaped shadows.  
I spent most of the day flying around, only stopping a few times to catch my breath and grab some food (ordering a takeaway takes a lot longer when everyone in the building wants a picture with you). Eventually, the sun began to set and I was starting to give up. One more scan over the alleys, I decided, then I’d head home.  
I walked quietly through the almost pitch-black alleys, the stone-dead silence of the surrounding walls making me very uncomfortable. I found myself constantly glancing over my shoulder and into every shadow around me, constantly feeling like I was being watched. Shaking off the uncomfortable feeling, I made my way to the rooftops above, landing on a tall building and taking a deep breath to calm myself, releasing the tension in my shoulders.

I didn’t have time to process what was happening before a heavy weight barrelled into me from behind, forcing me to the floor and knocking the wind out of me.  
Luckily, my instincts kicked in and I moved fast, rolling away before my attacker could pin me down. I jumped to my feet and spun around, only to come face-to-face with the shadow.  
He stood poised to attack, his hooded cape billowed behind him in the wind. I studied him. He was young - no older than twenty if I had to guess - and his cloak fastened across his right collarbone, draping over his shoulders, and stopping halfway down his back, allowing plenty of free movement without getting his arms caught.  
His hood had fallen back which allowed me to see his light brown hair which sat in a pixie cut, trimmed neatly around his ears with a small almost wave-like lock of hair sweeping down just above his obscured right eye. He wore a black v-neck shirt and black jeans, and what appeared to be a hand-made belt around his waist. He also wore a long, slender pouch, tied around his waist and just above the knee, securing it in place but still allowing his leg to bend. His arms were covered in long gloves reaching halfway up his upper arms, sporting multiple buckles. I noticed the gloves had no fingertips. He wore the same obscuring masks as the night before.

  
I watched as he swiftly snapped the pouch on his leg open and yanked out two slender metal rods, and held them in each hand, poised to attack.  
“Who are you?” I demanded. He said nothing. Furious, I ran at him, readying power beams from my palms. I fired one and he leapt out of the way, narrowly dodging it. I skidded to a stop before I ran off the building and swung around to deliver a punch, but he dodged that too, spinning around and punching me in the back of the head and knocking me to the ground. I shook my head, disorientated, but still managing to lift myself up. I fully expected to get knocked down again, but found myself pleasantly surprised as the Shadow simply watched from a distance, still braced.  
We caught each others eyes as I readied power beams from my palms once more, and he spun his weapons in his hands, probably preparing to either dodge or deflect my attack. I never found out which, though, as our attention was snapped away by a distant sound.  
We both glanced in the direction of the sound, lowering our attacks. The sound came again. It was.. a roar? What kind of animal living in Brighton could produce that kind of noise? I felt a chill run down my spine and fought back a surge of fear.  
I glanced at the Shadow, who returned my gaze, and something in his shifted. Shock? Realisation? I wasn’t sure.  
“You don’t know what that is, do you?” His voice was quiet, but firm. It caught me off guard and I nearly missed his question. My mouth opened and closed as I struggled to force words out. He glanced from me, to the direction of the noise, back to me, and then back to the noise, fear steadily rising in his face.  
“Oh fuck,” he whispered, slipping the rods back into their pouch, and took off in the furthest direction from the noise.  
“Wait” I cried, this time I was thankfully fast enough to grab him by the leg and send him tumbling to the ground before he could get too far.  
“Let me go!” He hissed angrily.  
“Not until you tell me who you are and what you want!” I argued.  
“I want to get out of here alive,” he snarled in a hushed voice. “And if you make much more noise, neither of us will be reaching that goal tonight.”  
“Why?” I asked, “do you know what that thing is?” Another roar interrupted us, this time sounding much, much closer. The fear in his eyes only grew and instead of answering, he kicked his legs forcefully, shaking me off, and scrambled to his feet. He tried to run again, but barely made it a step before a huge shape loomed into view in front of us. I barely had time to process the shining silver body and the terrifying blue eyes of the monster sizing me up before the Shadow grabbed my hand tightly, yanking me away from it.  
“What the fuck is that thing?!” I cried, trying to ignore its roars as it chased after us.  
“Bad!” He replied, “very, very bad!” I opened my mouth to ask another question but found myself winded as the monster threw its full weight into us both, sending up toppling through the air; I gave a small yelp as a sharp pain pierced my shoulder. I managed to catch myself in mid-air, taking a second to stop my head from spinning, and glanced around wildly for the Shadow, clutching my arm.  
The monster had its head buried in an alley below, reaching towards a shape in the dark, backed into a corner.  
Without stopping to think, I found myself swooping down and forcing myself between the two of them, readying rays from my fists. Up close, I could see rows of terrifyingly sharp teeth glinting in the sparse light as its maw snapped inches from my face. I thanked whatever gods might have been listening that its shoulders were too broad to fit any further into the alley.  
I glanced at the gnashing teeth and the tongue lashing about behind them. A swift blast to the throat should do it. I raised my arm, ready to shoot.  
“The eyes.” I turned to stare at the Shadow, who once again had both metal rods drawn, and stood ready to attack.  
“What?” I asked, jumping back as the beast’s breath pummelled the back of my head.  
“Aim for the eyes,” he repeated.  
“But-” I wanted to protest.  
“NOW,” he shouted, clearly impatient, so I turned back to the monster and did as I was told. It reared up, roaring in pain as a blast of green exploded in it’s face. “Follow me,” the Shadow said quietly, and took off once more into the maze of alleys. I followed.  
We ducked around corner after corner, seemingly at random, as the now distant roars grew further and further away.

Finally, my lungs burning, we came to a stop, and I leant on my legs, panting harder than ever before.  
“You better explain... what the fuck is going on,” I said breathlessly, gripping my arm which was slowly starting to throb with pain.  
“Long story short, he wants to kill me,” the Shadow gasped in response. I nodded, although my head was still racing with confusion.  
“What does that have to do with me?” I asked.  
“Nothing,” he replied, “I thought you were with him.”


	4. Chapter Four: Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, even a hero needs time to slow down and think

“For the last time, FUCK OFF!” He yelled as he tried yet again to walk away from me.  
“Not until you explain what the fuck just happened, who you are and what is going on!” I argued back. He had attempted to walk off without me noticing, but I wasn’t about to let him leave before I got some answers. We still stood somewhere among the maze of alleys, but he had wandered further in trying to avoid me. I stumbled a little and tried to manoeuvre my feet to keep me steady, but in the process ended up tripping over myself and falling against the wall. That knock on the head had given me quite the headache which hadn’t faded at all.  
“Look,” the Shadow said, agitated, turning to face me, “whatever’s going on here is strictly my business. I don’t need some clumsy, brightly-coloured idiot screwing things up even more than they already are.”  
“You made it my business when you started attacking innocent people,” I argued.  
“Innocent?” He echoed incredulously, “did you even look at the news? They were all up to no good.” I shook my head.  
“There’s no way crime is that bad around here,” I argued back, hoping he hadn’t noticed the falter in my voice, “Few people are willing to go toe-to-toe with Jackaboy.”  
“Few people are dumb anough to get caught by Jackaboy,” he retaliated, “do you have any idea how bright your suit is?” I glanced down at myself. “You stand out like a clown at a funeral,” he continued, “it’s no wonder they can avoid you so well. And do you really think no one’s noticed that you’re only ever around in the evenings?”  
I didn’t know what to say, and I found myself growing hot. Whether it was from anger, embarrassment or the pain still in my head, I couldn’t tell. “What kind of fucking superhero do you think you are when folks like this are on every other street corner? This town isn’t half as peaceful as you think, Jackaboy.” There was another pause as I fumbled for words. “Let’s get this straight,” he continued, “I’m fighting a life-or-death battle here that I don’t fully understand. If I need help, I’ll ask someone who actually knows what they’re doing.” And with that, he turned and stormed off, leaving me dumbstruck.

“Your arm is fine, you probably just pulled a muscle. Your head, on the other hand, seems to have taken quite the beating.” The man next to me said in a thick German accent as he rubbed some sort of anti-bacterial cream over a small cut on my scalp. I winced against the resulting sting.  
I sat in silence on the dining room chair as he fumbled about in his medical bag and eventually came back with a box of tablets. He spoke as he pried one out of it’s plastic casing. “Take this and rest. If you start to feel dizzy, nauseous, or the headache worsens, call me immediately. And if you intend to sleep, make sure Evelyn keeps an eye on you and notifies me of any vomiting, confusion or pupil dilation.”  
I gulped down the tablet with a glass of water he handed to me and sighed.  
“Thanks, Henrik,” I said, and stood up, wobbling a little as I did so.  
“And for heaven’s sakes be more careful,” Henrik scolded. “You can’t rely on me to patch you up every single time you get an ouchie.” I gave an amused huff, but cleared my throat when I saw the look on his face.  
“Sorry, doc,” I said sincerely, “can I get you a coffee?”  
“Thanks but I have three more house calls to make,” he replied, a hint of exhaustion in his tone, “A doctor’s work is never done.”  
“Sorry, man,” I said sympathetically. Henrik gave me a friendly smile in return.  
“Try not to move around too much for the next twenty four hours.” He replied. Henrik gathered the last of his things and I saw him out, closing the door behind him.

Despite the persistent ache in my skull, I eventually managed to fall asleep, taking Henrik’s advice and having Evelyn check on me every few minutes to make sure I wasn’t showing any worrying signs.  
The next morning I awoke to find that she had called work and told them I’d be off sick for the day.  
Thankfully, after another full day of rest, I was able to head back in; and I was grateful for the distraction. I managed to convince my co-workers that I had injured my head when I fell off a ladder while trying to get my friend’s cat off his roof. One or two didn’t believe me, but after a few quick texts to said friend, I was soon able to show off a fake conversation that cleared me of all suspicion.

A week had passed by the time Evelyn had stopped fussing enough to admit that I was well enough to go out again - even though Henrik said I would only need to rest for twenty four hours - so I took the opportunity to clear my head by slipping into my red suit and heading into town. I laid down on the roof of a tall building, one leg hanging off the edge, staring at the starless evening sky. My mind wandered carelessly as my eyes absent-mindedly drifted after a pair of seagulls flying towards the sea, calling loudly between themselves. Winter evenings always felt rushed. You could leave the house in broad daylight and not an hour later, it’d be pitch black and before you knew it, you’d be relying on the street lights to see where you were going. Even as I thought, the sky was steadily darkening, until I finally noticed that the sun had half-disappeared beyond the jagged horizon of rooftops.  
Stretching, I sat up and twisted myself around so both legs were hanging off the building’s edge. I tilted my head back, closed my eyes and took a deep breath. What was left of the sun warmed my back while my face remained pleasantly cool. Anyone looking at me from behind would see a bright red blaze, lit up by the sunset, while anyone looking from in front would see nothing but a silhouette.  
Fitting, I thought, that the shadows covered my face. Of course, people recognising my face had always been a hazard in this line of work, so I was always grateful for the darkness when it came.  
I shivered slightly, suddenly realising how chilly it had become. I looked behind me to find that while the sun hadn’t fully set yet, it had disappeared behind the rooftops, and the shadows somehow didn’t seem so friendly anymore. Suddenly cautious, I got to my feet and stepped off the building, pulling up and flying back home.


	5. Chapter Five: A Sudden Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean’s day off is interrupted by someone unexpected.

I remained in a bit of a daze for the rest of the evening, but my mind refused to clear. I lay in bed for a few hours begging for sleep to claim me until morning, but it never came. Frustrated, I sat up and peeked at my bedside clock. 4am. Thank god I didn’t have work the next day.  
Not knowing what else to do, I climbed out of bed, brewed myself a mug of decaf coffee and switched the television on, flicking aimlessly between what few channels were still on at this hour and landing finally on an early morning news broadcast.  
“Mountains. The secret killer? And now for the weather. Jim?” I collapsed onto the sofa, only half-listening to the weather report. Apparently it was going to be dry again, but when was the last time that was accurate?  
I sipped on my coffee, leaning on the armrest of the sofa and staring at nothing in particular, thinking about nothing in particular.  
“Sean?” A sleepy voice pulled me out of my daze and I turned to see Evelyn, looking almost half asleep, standing in the doorway. “What are you doing down here?”  
“Did I wake you?” I asked gently. She shook her head.  
“I just got up for a glass of water and heard the TV on,” she replied, yawning.  
“I couldn’t sleep,” I admitted, “so I gave up trying.” Evelyn nodded, rubbing one sleepy eye. “Go on up to bed,” I continued, “I’ll bring you a glass of water.” Evelyn ambled slowly out the door and back upstairs while I retrieved a glass from the kitchen.  
A short time later, I walked into the dark bedroom and placed the glass down gently beside Evelyn who was now snoring softly. I pulled the blanket over her exposed shoulder and planted a small kiss on her cheek, smiling to myself. What did a man like me do to deserve someone like her?

I remained in front of the television until accidentally falling asleep on the sofa about an hour later, only to be woken up by the sound of the coffee machine brewing.  
“I’ll have mine black,” I called, prompting laughter from Evelyn who was busying herself with breakfast. Again. “I thought it was my turn to make breakfast.” I said.  
“And how can you do that on only three hours of sleep?” She asked, entering the room with a mug in each hand.  
“Quite easily,” I replied, “you should have seen me before you moved in. Super-heroing, working and trying to survive all by myself.” Evelyn sat down on the sofa beside me and handed me a mug which I gratefully took a small sip from - it was still piping hot.  
“What would you do without me?” She asked.  
“Suffer, probably.” I replied. We chuckled and continued to drink. I had fallen asleep with the television on, so we continued to watch it in silence. Some morning talk show was playing - the hosts discussing winter gardening techniques with their guest.  
“What are you up to today?” Evelyn asked, deciding to break the silence.  
“Sleeping,” I replied, only half joking.  
“I hope not because the washing needs to be done,” she said in an accusatory tone.  
“Oh well why don’t you do it, then?” I asked in a mockingly childish voice.  
“Someone’s got to work for money in this house.”  
“I work!”  
“Yes, when you’re not flying around in a bright red leotard.”  
“It’s a super suit and you know it.”  
“And it needs washing.”  
I stifled a small laugh. “Don’t worry, I’ll get it done,” I said, bumping my head against hers affectionately. She planted a kiss on my hair and we continued to watch the television, our heads resting on each other.

One suit, two suits and three suits. I counted in my head as I pulled them out of the washing machine, trying not to let them drip on the floor too much, and dropped them in an empty washing basket ready to be hung up to dry. Those three suits alone had taken up the entire machine and I still had an entire basket to get through.  
I shovelled the rest of the dirty clothes into the machine, poured in some washing powder, and pushed the start button before picking up the basket with my suits and carrying them into the living room where a small clothing rack stood. The suits were the only things I wouldn’t dare hang outside, lest my neighbours see them, so I had to resort to hanging them indoors. Granted, they were slower to dry this way, but at least no one would see them unless they actually came into the house.  
That, of course, was one of the last things I was expecting to happen that day. Until I heard a weak knock at the door while I was in the middle of ironing a shirt. I propped the iron up - making sure to unplug it - and went to answer, but there was no one there.  
“Hello?” I asked uncertainly. Probably some prank knocker. But before I could shut the door, a faint moan responded, and I looked down.  
The shadow was lying on my porch, his face hidden.  
“Hey, are you okay?” I asked worriedly, pulling his hood back only to find his face covered in dirt and blood. “Holy fuck,” I whispered, scooping him into my arms and carrying him into the living room where I laid him down on the sofa.  
He coughed weakly, the sound muffled by his mask.  
“Jesus, what happened?” I asked. He glanced at me, his eyes almost glazed over, but the only sound he made was the raspy breathing from behind his mask. I reached out to pull it off to allow him to breathe more easily, but he quickly put his hand on my arm, shaking his head.  
“I have to,” I insisted, “you can’t breathe properly.” He looked more and more like he wanted to argue, but as soon as he tried to speak, he erupted into a small coughing fit. That did it, I grasped his mask gently and pulled it away, revealing the lower portion of his face. He took in a deep breath and the coughing slowed.  
“What happened?” I asked again once he was breathing properly. He whispered something in response, almost choking again.  
“What’s that?” I asked.  
“The monster,” he wheezed.  
I remembered. The silver creature that had attacked us on the rooftop, nearly killing us both. What had it done?

“It cornered me in the street,” he explained. He had taken an hour or so to rest and was now sitting up, once again able to speak and breathe normally. Despite my insistence that he didn’t need to - and the fact that I myself wasn’t hiding my face - he had replaced his mask.  
“Why did you come here?” I asked, “and... how did you know where I live?”  
“I tend to keep an eye on people who could be dangerous,” he replied, “also, you do realise that people can see through your windows, right?” I almost smacked myself in the head - I’d left the drying rack with my suits in view of the window. Idiot. “I came here because this was the only nearby place where I might be remotely safe. I can’t go home now.” I nodded, feigning understanding.  
“My friend’s a doctor, I could call him for you,” I suggested. I felt guilty about bothering him yet again, but at least it was his day off. He shook his head.  
“I’ll be alright,” he insisted, “I should go.” He struggled to stand up, clutching the sofa for support. I jumped to my feet and steadied him.  
“You’re in no condition to go anywhere,” I insisted. He looked like he wanted to argue again but gave in, sitting back down, pulling his legs up to his chest and rolling onto his side, facing the back of the sofa.. I studied him for a second, thinking.  
“What’s your name?” I asked. He said nothing. I tried again. “What do I call you?”  
“Nothing,” he replied.  
“I have to call you something,” I insisted. He sighed, was silent for a few seconds, and finally, slowly responded.  
“Jet.”  
“Jet?” I echoed.  
“Jet.” He confirmed.


	6. Chapter Six: Night Terror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean’s ready for a full night’s rest. But it doesn’t look like he’s going to get one.

The sun had set by the time Jet was able to stand again. He had eventually fallen asleep on the sofa while I finished tidying the house. Evelyn had texted me about staying out late with some friends, which was a relief - how was I supposed to explain a wanted vigilante asleep on our sofa?  
“You sure you don’t want me to come with you? Just in case?” I asked. We stood at the door. He nodded in response.  
“I’ll be fine as long as I don’t run into it again.”  
“And what if you do?”  
“I’ll run.”  
I pulled a face, which Jet made a show of ignoring as he walked away. I sighed to myself and closed the door.

I felt my eyes grow heavy as I lay on the sofa, my fuzzy brain drowning out the talk show on TV. A shallow snore escaped my mouth as sleep crept steadily closer. But just before it could reach me, I started awake at my phone buzzing away in my pocket. I snatched it up, glancing at Evelyn’s contact on the screen, and tapped the green button.  
“Yeah?” I said sleepily, trying to force my eyes open.  
“You need to get over here right now.” Evelyn’s panicked voice snapped me out of my drowsiness immediately.  
“What’s wrong?” I demanded, suddenly very awake.  
“There’s something huge running a rampage! I think I saw the Shadow!” My breath caught in my throat.  
“I’ll be right there,” I said, and hung up.

She wasn’t wrong. A quick change and a text message to make sure I knew where she was, and I was flying over the crossroads in the middle of town, the thirty foot tall silver beast destroying anything in reach.  
No hesitation this time. I shot the creature right in its face, stopping it in it’s tracks. It reached its head up towards me, lifting itself up to it’s full height. It towered above everyone around it, it’s dagger-like horns just reaching the rooftops of the three-storey buildings around it.  
It’s back legs shook the ground as it adjusted its weight, five cleaver-sized talons tearing up the concrete below, and a massive tail - as thick as the trunk of a redwood - lashed back and forth, carelessly knocking over anything unfortunate enough to be in its way.  
My eyes widened as it spread its arms, and I realised just exactly what this creature was. Instead of arms, the monster boasted two gargantuan wings, spread between three boney fingers, with two terrifyingly sharp talons at the joint, ready to dig into anything it wanted to climb... or maim. This wasn’t just a monster, it was a dragon. And its glowing blue eyes were locked right on my own.

I landed on a rooftop, trying and failing to steady my nerves. I had never trembled so hard in my life - I could swear someone watching from far below couldn’t have missed it. The dragon bared its teeth and uttered a bone-shaking growl. My panicked brain couldn’t form a single thought. No plan of attack, no method of escape, just pure terror. I didn’t even notice when it began to lunge towards me until it was nearly too late. I ducked and rolled away, scarcely missing the beast’s teeth as they bore down on the spot where I had just been standing.  
I readied my fists, waves of energy enveloping my fingers like a fluid glove, dancing on my skin like leaves over water. I blasted it right in the face. Then again, and again, each hit pushing it backwards a little further. It roared through the blasts, fury igniting in it’s eyes.  
I didn’t know what else to do, my brain had jumped from flight to fight with no plan. Just keep blasting it. It’ll get tired eventually. _But so will I_ , I realised. Even as I thought that, I noticed that my attacks were growing steadily weaker; it wouldn’t be long before I couldn’t hit it at all, and it was now holding it’s ground, no longer backing away.  
 _What do I do? What do I do?_

Of all things you are probably expecting, I doubt what happened next is on that list. Perhaps I discovered a new, ultra-strong power? Maybe the dragon gave up and flew away? Maybe Jet swooped in to save me?  
I can tell you right now, dear reader, that you are wrong.

I had never been so fearful for my life, never so sure that I might die. I felt sick. I wanted to sob. Just keep hitting it.  
I stopped at a new sound, and so did the dragon. It was another roar, but not like the one from this beast. The roar from the dragon was deep, rumbling, and smooth. Almost like if someone took the sound of thunder and played it through the echoing filter of a glass jar. This new sound, however, was closer to the sound you would associate with the word roar. It was deep, but not quite as deep, and grittier, yet more powerful. The dragon’s was menacing and cunning while this new one was powerful and demanding.  
We waited intently, staring in the direction of the sound. For a long time, nothing happened. Then the roar came again. Much closer this time.  
My head told me to run, but I remained rooted to the spot, daring to see what had made such a noise, and to my utter shock, another giant stepped onto the street and into view.  
It was almost identical to the silver dragon, but it’s scales were instead a deep slate. Its horns curved outwards, then inwards, then outwards once more, and it’s face in general was more slender and dainty. Physically, it was smaller than the first dragon, but as it drew itself up to it’s full height on two terrifyingly strong legs, I noticed that it stood almost a full head taller. Even from where I stood, I could see it’s eyes glowing a bright red.

It roared once more, the sound so loud and powerful, I almost gave in to the urge to sink to my knees with my hands over my ears. The silver dragon roared back, the sound reverberating in my stomach.  
I stared in utter disbelief as the monsters clashed, teeth snapping and claws raking, neither one giving even an inch.  
I was too panicked to form a coherent thought, but by pure instinct, I knew that I had to stop them. I did not want to see the kind of carnage two fighting dragons could cause.


	7. Chapter Seven: Fight or Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How exactly does one fight two giant dragons?

I blasted them, but my attack fizzled away on the dragon’s scales like water off a duck’s back. I tried once more, but the same thing happened. Neither dragon was paying attention, they were focused entirely on their terrifying battle. I stood, dumbfounded, for a while as my mind whirred, trying to figure out what to do. Before my eyes, the beasts bit and scratched and kicked, their powerful legs delivering blow after blow that I would definitely _not_ want to be on the receiving end of. They scratched with the claws on their wings, but those did almost nothing compared to the knives on their feet.  
The grey dragon lunged at the silver, sending it toppling backwards until it managed to steady itself with one leg.  
Something clicked in my head; what if I knocked them down? I figured it would be a lot easier said than done as I looked again at their powerful legs, almost as thick as oak trunks. But if I could knock one down, how difficult would it be to get back up? I wouldn’t know until I tried.

I glanced around for inspiration, what would cause a dragon to lose their footing? Well, first of all, what would cause a person to lose their footing? I doubted I could find a person strong enough to crouch behind one while I pushed it from the front. Stubbing a toe? No, that would be up to chance, and wouldn’t necessarily cause them to fall over. What else? Slipping? No, that would also be up to chance. An injured leg? Sure, if it seemed remotely possible to damage them. _Come on, Jackaboy, think_. My eyes scanned the streets for ideas. Knocked over benches, bins overturned, smashed glass - yikes, I wouldn’t want to step on that.  
 _Of course_! The idea struck me like a bowling ball. Sure, it was a half-baked plan and one that could very easily go south, but I couldn’t think of anything else and the longer the dragons fought, the longer people were in danger.  
Tell me, what happens when you step on something sharp? It’s bound to hurt, right? Maybe enough to force you onto one leg, which isn’t always easy to maintain for long. But would a shard of glass be enough to puncture the tough skin of a dragon’s foot? Perhaps not. But I knew what would work. Well... I hoped I did.

I flew down to the street, gulping down a lump in my throat as the difference in perspective hit me like a brick. They were so much bigger from down there.  
The grey dragon loomed just in front of me, completely unaware with it’s back to me as it dodged a bite from the silver dragon. I felt the ground beneath me shake as it took a step back, although that could have been my trembling legs.  
One deep breath. Two deep breaths. It stepped back again, the silver dragon slowly but surely overpowering it and driving it towards me. I took in a third breath, held onto it, and forced more energy than I had ever felt in my life into my clenched fists as the dragon’s talons hovered over my head.  
 _Now or never_. I blasted the beast right in the soft middle of it’s foot, straining with the effort of containing more power than I had ever attempted to hold before. The dragon roared, lifting it’s foot, and hobbling on one leg. Seeing it’s opponent was now distracted, the silver dragon lunged once more, sending the grey dragon crashing to the ground. I rolled out of the way, barely dodging the beast’s slashing talons, and watched as it’s head crashed into a building, caving it in, and it’s body went still.

The silver dragon towered over it’s conquered opponent, raising it’s head with a fearsome growl. As much as my nerves needed a break, now was not the time. I flew up to the monster’s head and seized what would probably be my only opportunity to overpower it by blasting it directly in it’s open mouth.  
The blast was weaker than usual - thanks to the sheer amount of energy I had just exerted - but it seemed to be just enough, as it caused the dragon to gag and roar, stumbling backwards and doubling over as it choked on the pure energy that had just been shot down it’s throat. I fell to the ground, utterly exhausted from having to use so much energy.  
I was only able to watch as the dragon barely managed to compose itself enough to stagger away, managing to build up enough running speed to launch itself into the sky and disappear into the darkness.

I took a second to steady my nerves and regain my breath before turning to look at the grey dragon, which lay as still as ever. The bigger they are the harder they fall, I thought, almost daring to wonder if the fall had somehow killed it.

Dear reader, I truly hope that you are prepared for what will happen next. Perhaps it’s a little rude of me to put something like this in a chapter directly after the last one, but I can only tell you the events as they happened, and sometimes life decides to beat you over the head for no particular reason.

As I stared at the unmoving beast, I slowly became aware of a faint light that began to grow steadily stronger. At first, I couldn’t have told you where this light came from, but after a few seconds of staring, I realised that the dragon’s entire body was emitting this glow. It grew brighter and brighter until the dragon itself seemed to be made of light. The rays seemed to shift and dance over it’s body, like sunlight filtering through the surface of the ocean. Eventually, the light show faded, but the light didn’t shrink back into the dragon; it had disappeared.  
The glow shrunk and shrunk until it was merely the size of a person, and then beyond that to reveal a single figure lying on the ground. The white light faded into their chest, where it lingered for a moment and gave a small red spark, before finally vanishing.

I took a tentative step closer, my mind racing so fast there didn’t seem to be any thoughts there at all. I held my breath as my eyes scanned the figure, then my heart seemed to leap into my throat. They wore all black, had a small stature and didn’t seem any older than twenty-one. With one shaking hand, I pushed back the hood obscuring their face.  
In a hoarse voice I whispered, “Jet?”


End file.
